Toothbrush



Jan. 17, 1933. NENNmG ET AL 1,894,413

TOOTHBRUSH Filed June 23, 1931 INVENTORS GEORGE h. NENN mefi JbII/V 61 wow JZJHNSON Patented Jan. 17, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE, v

GEORGE H. NENNING, OF BELLMORE, AND JOHN CLIFFORD JOHNSON, OF GLEN COVE, NEW YORK TOOTHBRUSH Application filed June 23,

Our invention relates to tooth brushes, and more particularly to that class of handy sanitary articles that may be kept for instant use at home orabroad, and then after use thrown away.

The object of our invention is to provide a cheap, neat, handy and reliable sanitary tooth brush that consists of a body of paper or fabric or combinations of each, so shaped as to have the cot fit the finger. When made of paper it will be waxed or otherwise treated to make it waterproof; also when the sheath or cot is made of fabric it will materially strengthen it to also waterproof the material. Said body portion being provided with suitable bristles that may or may not be impregnated with a suitable paste or powder, so that theuser will only have to wet the bristles and its tooth cleaning agency therein before using.

One of the main objects of our invention is to provide such a sanitary article that will perform all the necessary functions for which it is to be used, then to discard the same. Yet another object is to provide a cot or sheath .for the finger that will permit of its instant use, and at such nominal cost as to not make it worthwhile to retain.

The invention will be better understood from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein is shown what is now considered the preferred form. While the drawing lllustrates some examples of means for putting our invention into practice, its scope will be pointed out in the specification and in the appended claims.

Further objects and advantageswill become apparent as the description of the invention is hereinafter developed.

Referring to the several views of the drawing, Fig. 1 illustrates a cot made up from a fiat piece of fibrous paper; Fig. 2 is a plan view of a woven material that may also contain the bristles; Fig. 3 shows the complete article ready to be placed on the finger; Fig. 4 shows the same applied to the finger ready for use; Fig. 5 shows a section of the cot illustrated of the blankshown in Fig. 1; Fig. 6 illustrates a modified form shown in Fig.

1931. Serial No. 546,180.

3; Fig. 7 is a side view of another modified form, and\ Fig. 8 is another view of same have been constructed of rubber or other materials which have for their purposes that of conveniences only, the article being designed and constructed with these ends only in mind. With our invention it is not made to be used more than once, and sold, as above noted, at such cost as to make it not only desirable but beneficial to use a new one each time.

Referring to Fig. 1, it will be seen that the cot or sheath may be provided of a fibrous paper, thin fabric, penasote or oil cloth shaped so as to fit over the top of the first finger. The body portion of the cot 10 may be provided with overlapping part 11, so that when secured in place forms a complete covering for the finger. The lower end of our cot may be reinforced by the lower edges being turned back on itself simply for strength, as shown at 12. We propose to have the bristles 13 suitably secured to one end of a piece of woven material 14, while the plain part 15 of the material is secured over the top and extending for a distance on the opposite side, so that such material reinforces the top of the finger should the same be made of cellophane or other like material.

It has been found that the reinforced strip may be waterproofed after the same has been affixed to the cot. By doing so it adds stiflening to the fabric material and reinforces the top of the cot after it has been moistened.

Hitherto, these short finger tooth brushes have been constructed of such materials or in such a manner as to make the same prohibitive for the purposes of their construction, thereby neither making them attractive, neat nor an attractive artic e, nor one that permits of such a sanitary brush as is advocated and recommended by the health anthorities and physicians generally. With the construction illustrated and described all these advantages have been tested and incorporated.

It is highly desirable to provide a handy sanitary tooth brush that will be ready to function in the shortest possible time, and yet made and sold at such a nominal cost as to commend itself for the purposes. By having such a handy and ready article, it may be used and then thrown away, thereby dlS- posing of any and all possibilities of germs,

and thereby destroying the article before the complete operation on the teeth has been concluded.

Referring to Fig. 6 in this modification, I provide a Woven base 16 having bristles 13 suitably secured thereon, and ends 17 and 18 being long enough to fold over and secure rubber bands 19 and 20 therein. Of course, it is understood that the user would wash his or her hands first, then apply the bristles to the finger, and after use throw the same away.

Now referring to Fig. wherein 1s shown still another modified form of sheath or cot 21, for the finger, so shaped of fibrous paper or fabric material 10 having the reinforced end 11' thereon. These sheaths may be sewed or otherwise suitably secured together so as to function. They may be provided with the edge seams turned inside for neat appearances when composed of suitable fabric, or if by paper the edges may be suitably secured together before the bristles are attached. In this particular illustration the bristles 13 are placed into a suitable base 22, then the same is secured, as shown, to the cot.

. that, when submerged for a fraction of a minute in water, is ready for instant use, giving the teeth a brushing with the bristles,

and at the same time a cleansing with the paste or powder properties therein.

It will be noted that our improved handy sanitary tooth brush is different from any designed heretofore; it can be made simple, inexpensive, yet effective for the purposes for which it is designed. It will be at all times absolutely free from any foreign substances or germs as in the ordinary tooth brush that is not sterilized.

While we have herein described the form of our invention as at present preferred, and which we consider represents the best emreaders 1. A toothbrush consi ting of a cot or the like adapted to fit the users finger, said cot 1 being made of fragile water-proofed fibrous material, woven tape means for reinforcing the top of the cot, whereby damage to the cot from the finger nail pushing therethrough is prevented, said tape means extending down the side of said cot, and bristles mounted adjacent one end of said means.

2. A device of the character described made of fragile and easily penetrable waterproof fibrous material and comprising a cot adapted to fit the users finger, a bristle-supporting tape adhesively mounted on the side of said cot, said tape extending over the top of the cot and being made of relatively impenetrable material such "as woven fabric, to reinforce the latter against being pierced by the users finger nail.

3. A tooth brush consisting of a cot having a closed end and adapted to fit the users finger, said cot being made of water roof fibrous material, means attached to the side of said cot and supporting bristles in a portion thereof, and said closed end being thicker than the remainder of said cot and relatively impenetrable, whereby it is reinforced against piercing by the users finger nail.

4. A cot-like tooth brush made of fibrous material and having a closed end, said tooth brush being adapted to fit over the users finger, and an integral rectangular strip of Woven material thereon and for. reinforcing said closed end, one end of which is adapted to support brush bristles the cot and reinforcement being waterproofed substantially as and for the purpose described.

Signed at Mineola in the county of N as sau and State of New York this eighteenth day of June A. D. 1931.

GEORGE H. NENNING.

J. CLIFFORD JOHNSON. 

